Have you ever heard certain phrases said by someone, so often, that the phrase ultimately loses its significance? This has happened to me and I think it has happened to us all. Take for example the phrase, “in God we trust”. Every person in the United States knows this phrase and each day we are reminded visually of it whenever we do the simplest of things—like getting soda out of a machine. Yet, I believe the phrase has lost some significance because of its overuse and secularization. What does it mean to have a God? Who is this God we’re talking about on our coinage? What does it mean to trust something? The phrase, “in God we trust”, is only helpful if we know the answer to these other questions.
Attention to detail must always be given when we’re talking about God. That is why I’m starting this link from the web site of Grace Lutheran Church. On a bi-weekly basis I will be posting very basic translations and explanations of the simplest of passages from the Bible. My goal is to cover the most famous passages of the Bible and to simply explain them in plain language. I will try my best to steer clear from Christianese, ie. using technical language that can only be interpreted by a few select insiders. If you feel like commenting or clarifying or concretizing, please contact me at jlucke43@fastmail.fm. I always enjoy engaging in a good conversation about God’s Word.
We believe in the Lutheran Church that God’s Word is alive. The Word gives us depth in our belief. Without it, we’re really just worshipping ourselves and our ideas. Proverbs 16 says, “whoever gives thought to the Word will discover good”. I pray that you are that “whoever” in this passage. And I pray that God’s Word does not lose its significance in your life, but accomplishes that for which it was sent.
For our first passage, let’s look simply at the first part of John 3:16. Here is a translation of the passage:
“For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son.” ESV
There are two parts to this very simple sentence. First, we hear that God loves the world. Second, we hear that he gave his only Son. Many translations of John 3:16 place most of the emphasis on the first part of the sentence, stating how greatly God loves the world. Take for example, the Amplified Bible translation, “For God so greatly loved and dearly prized the world that He gave up His only Son.” In actuality, however, the emphasis in the original language is upon the second half of the sentence: “he gave his only Son.” The first part of the sentence is a subordinate clause, which is a fancy way of saying that it is just setting up for what is coming next: he gave.
God wants us to know that He “gives”. When Jesus speaks about God in John 17, he richly describes him as someone who gives. Nine times in the first 11 verses of John 17 Jesus says the Father gives. Just think of the ways in which God has given to you.
As Christians we must go one step further than saying that God loves the world. Most people living on this earth believe that some higher power above us loves. What makes Christianity unique is the last half of the sentence, “he gave his only Son”. Our God gives—even his only Son. How many gods let alone people do you know that would do something like that? Our God did in the giving of Jesus. In your Christian witness emphasize with others the specific ways that God has given. Share the greatest gift of Jesus and how it has impacted you. Steer clear of Christian clichés that could easily get lost in translation. Until next time.